Most individuals have a defining moment in their lives, where they know where their life is headed. Pursuing a degree, as a physician assistant for me did not happen in a single moment but a collection of moments. My mother’s battle with heart disease, a father collapsing on the ground unresponsive, watching first hand the initial incision of an ACL reconstruction to the head of an academic program suggesting a masters in physician assistant. An accumulation of these moments has driven me to unite my interests to accomplish and contribute more to healthcare. Throughout my physical therapy assistant program, I excelled but not due to pure intelligence. Dedication and hard work have been the pillars that my life has been built upon. The many hours spent studying and tutoring during PTA school caught my professor’s attention. During the first year, catching me off guard the head of my program, Dr. Bob asked me into his office to talk. There is nothing more terrifying than being sent to the proverbial principles office. Dr. Bob cut straight to the point asking if I had ever thought about becoming a PA. The honest answer, no. It was not from disinterest but from a lack of knowledge of what a physician assistant was. After much research and a chance to shadow, it undoubtedly was the …show more content…
This was my first time shadowing in which I observed an anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction among a host of other surgical procedures. The moment the first incision was made will be a moment I never forget. The operating room moved a thousand miles a second, yet in slow motion at the same time. Watching Kate prepare the graph used to replace the tendon was a work of art. As I observed the surgeon asked me why the fluids in the joint capsule space were different between our two patients. To say my stomach dropped would be an understatement but it is an answer I will never